Abercregan - Coed Morgannwg Way - Pontrhydyfen - ID: 1557

Walk description: Start grid ref: SS849966

OS map: Explorer 165 & 166,
From the old mining village of Abercregan, follow the Coed Landranger 170
Morgannwg way to Efail Fach, returning along old railway lines in the Walk length: 11 miles
Afan Valley. The industrial scars of this area have healed, leaving Duration: 300 minutes
views of green valleys and rolling hills with masses of flowers, Height gain: 400 metres
butterflies and birds. Contributor: John Thorn

<b>This walk is sponsored by the Colliers at Pontrhydyfen.</b> Weathercall: Get a local forecast
for this walk.
Call 09068 020 510 from your
phone or mobile. Or dial 09065
Access information: 22 45 03 from your fax machine
to receive a fax.
The walk starts in Abercregan, SS 849966. Arriving in Abercregan 09068 calls 60p/min, 09065 calls
from Cymer, park just before the Afan Christian Fellowship Building. £1.50p/min.
Bus 239 from Maesteg passes here.
Features:
Additional info:
• Hills or Fells
The Actor Richard Burton was born in Pontrhydyfen. • Mountains
• Pub
The red-brick viaduct was built by the Port Talbot Railway, the route • Toilets
of which ran to the collieries at Tonmawr. The stone viaduct is said to • Birds
have been built as a aqueduct to carry water to power mills lower • Flowers
down the valley and / or to have carried a tramway. The track from • Great Views
Pontrydyfen back to Abercregan is two railways - the second half is • Butterflies
the South Wales Mineral Railway which connected Briton Ferry to • Industrial Archaeology
Glyncorrwg via a long incline and a tunnel from Tonmawr (marked on • Public Transport
the OS maps) which emerges above Waymark 10. Sadly, I can find no • Woodland
history of the track from Pontrhydyfen to Waymark 10 - the broken
bridge is the Rhondda and Swansea Bay line which ran along the
south side of the Afan valley - and can only assume it was a link from
the R&SB to the SWMR.

Copyright ©1999, ©2004 Walkingworld Ltd. All rights reserved - Licensed to member:
charlie_andrews@hotmail.com
Abercregan - Coed Morgannwg Way - Pontrhydyfen - ID: 1557

1 Walk straight ahead, passing the Christian Fellowship

building on your left. The road soon becomes a gravel
(Grid ref: 849966)

track. After about 200 yards when the main track bears
right uphill, continue straight ahead. Then continue
straight on, ignoring a sharp turn to your left.

2 The track crosses a stream on a small concrete bridge. Ten

yards after the bridge, turn left across a stile carrying a
(Grid ref: 844971)

sign 'Coed Morgannwg Way' (Glamorgan Forest Way). This

route is marked by black footprint signs on a white
background - either on small disks or, sometimes, life-size
on the sloping top of a post. The route follows the Coed
Morgannwg Way until Waymark 6. After a climb through
the woods, the path levels and then drops slightly to join a
wider track. About 200 yards along this, look for a sign on
your right and follow this uphill.

3 After a short overgrown section, emerge onto a wide

gravel track. Bear left. After the path takes a right-hand
(Grid ref: 843965)

curve (with good views across the Afan Valley on the left)
turn off left at a sign. After 100 yards follow the sign round
to the right (this section is quite boggy and overgrown). At
the gravel track turn right. After about half a mile, pass an
extensive ruin on your left and continue ahead.

4 At a staggered crossroads, bear left. At a fork, bear right.

There is a picnic table here with fine views.
(Grid ref: 829963)

5 Cross a stony track to re-enter the forest on a footpath

which soon bears left. Bear right when you reach a stony
(Grid ref: 816957)

track.

6 At a metal gate we leave the Coed Morgannwg Way (which

turns left here). Go through the gate, ignore the first track
(Grid ref: 807954)
on your left and follow the metalled road to the left. (Just
across to your right are toilets at the Mountain Centre).
Follow the road for just over a mile. (As you pass under a
pylon line, the large building on the skyline at 'one o'clock'
is the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency).

7 Bear left on the road. At the T-junction, turn left for lunch
at The Colliers. There is no food on Tuesdays but the menu
(Grid ref: 789956)

is online: www.thecolliers.biz <http://www.thecolliers.biz>

8 Turn left out of the pub, go straight on at the T-junction

and cross the river. Immediately after, turn left. After
(Grid ref: 787953)

twenty yards, the road turns right under a bridge, but

continue straight ahead on the path and fork right, to turn
left onto the railway trackbed. Follow this for about a mile,
ignoring other paths until you have crossed a viaduct. After
crossing the viaduct, turn sharply up to your left then go
right at the wall. At the end of the wall turn left and follow
the road, passing the church on your right. Follow the road
round to the left past the chapel, but then leave the road
(which drops down to the right) to cross another viaduct.

Copyright ©1999, ©2004 Walkingworld Ltd. All rights reserved - Licensed to member:
charlie_andrews@hotmail.com
Abercregan - Coed Morgannwg Way - Pontrhydyfen - ID: 1557

9 At the end of the viaduct turn right on the road, following

the cycle track sign. The road turns down to the right but
(Grid ref: 795941)

continue ahead, following the signs to Afan Argoed and

Cymer. At the end of the car park, bear slightly left to
follow the sign to Abercregan. Continue on this cycle way
ignoring turns (the Coed Morgannwg Way joins this track
for a time).

10 Ignore the right fork 'steep hill - cyclists dismount', to

continue ahead, slightly uphill. After about two miles, at a
(Grid ref: 815952)

green and white gate, continue ahead to cross the valley

on the embankment; then bear left up the street past a
red garage on your right. Continue up to the T-junction to
regain the start.

Copyright ©1999, ©2004 Walkingworld Ltd. All rights reserved - Licensed to member:
charlie_andrews@hotmail.com